1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, method, computer-readable program and storage medium for printing information acquired from a server apparatus through a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
With well-equipped communication infrastructure and advanced information communication technology, users of computers easily become a provider of information services through the Internet using their own computers (information processing apparatuses). Since techniques for providing image information services through the Internet have been established, image information is easily transferred to users and exchanged between users.
Although the technique to acquire image information through the Internet is established and has found widespread use, a technique to provide image information with a property right thereof protected is still immature. Information is frequently provided in an illegal form with the copyright thereof violated.
Content providers who have copyrighted image information have not been sufficiently enthusiastic about supplying image-information providing services as a business.
The content providers may have provided image information in printed matter. But image information in printed matter can be prohibitively expensive considering investments for a facility, and maintenance of and daily utilization costs of the facility.
Users may wish to purchase and print image information. However, the sheet size and quality of printers commercially available to individuals are limited. Image information printed in a wide range of printing specifications remains out of reach for most users. On the other hand, providers who provide printing services themselves must be a holder of contents to be printed or must sometimes be licensed to use image information. The scale of business depends on the collection of contents.
Printing service providers who provide printing solutions to provide users with printing services in a diversity of printing forms other than those possible on home printers have been proposed. In this case, content providers, which provide contents but not downloading of data, do not have printing solutions.
Information is exchanged between a printing service provider and a content provider to transmit image information ordered by a user from the content provider to the printing service provider.
Such an information exchange is carried out using a single communication protocol designated by the printing service provider.